Photoconductors that are selected for imaging systems, such as xerographic imaging processes, are known. These photoconductors usually contain certain photogenerating layer pigments and charge transport layer components. A problem associated with a number of the known photoconductors is that their surface layers may have minimum resistance or lack a sufficient resistance to abrasion from dust, charging rolls, toner, and carrier that requires the untimely replacement of the photoconductors at significant costs. While used photoconductor components can be partially recycled, there continues to be added costs and potential environmental hazards when recycling. Further, the surface layers of photoconductors are subject to scratches that decrease their lifetime, and in xerographic imaging systems adversely affects the quality of the developed images. Another problem is that mixtures of components selected for the photogenerating and charge transport layers may not be compatible, or their compatibility needs improvement, for example where the charge transport materials are not sufficiently dispersible in the polymeric binders, or where the glass transition temperature of the polymeric binder is not sufficiently high enough, such as above 125° C. and up to 400° C. This may cause significant wear or abrasion of the polymeric binder.
Thus, there is a need for abrasion resistant photoconductors with enhanced mechanical characteristics, especially in xerographic systems where biased charging rolls are used. There is also a need for scratch resistant photoconductors with acceptable ghosting characteristics. Further, there is a need for new polymeric binders that can effectively have dispersed therein a charge transport compound, and which binders are compatible with polycarbonates typically used in photoconductors.
Additionally, there continues to be a need for polymeric photoconductor binders that possess a high glass transition temperature. Moreover, there remains a need for photoconductors with minimal wearing of the charge transport layer or layers, and the minimization or substantial elimination of undesirable ghosting on developed images, such as xerographic images, including decreased ghosting at various relative humidities.
Photoconductors with excellent cyclic characteristics and stable electrical properties, minimal charge deficient spots (CDS), and acceptable lateral charge migration (LCM) characteristics, such as excellent LCM resistance, are also desirable.
These and other needs are believed to be achievable in embodiments of the photoconductors disclosed herein.